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NDA Annual Report and Accounts 2021-2022 | case studies

The WELL project

Andy Harper, part of NDA’s socio-economic development team

Andy Harper is part of NDA’s socio-economic development team and is the organisation’s representative on the Board of the WELL project. He explains more about why the NDA group supports its work

 

Tell us about your project?

Western Excellence in Leadership and Learning (WELL) was co-created by NDA, Sellafield Ltd, Cumbria County Council and local schools.

I’m delighted to be NDA’s representative on the Board of the project. We want to sustainably improve educational outcomes for all young people in West Cumbria, particularly those facing disadvantage. Our aim is to use evidence informed practice to close the attainment gap, raise pupil achievement, provide high quality teacher development and support students’ mental health and wellbeing.

Students working at a desk with teacher at Ashfield Junior School in West Cumbria

What has been achieved?

A huge amount has already been achieved:

In addition, the impact of COVID-19 on the achievement and wellbeing of pupils meant there was an immediate need to support young people and teachers to aid their recovery and help them catch up on learning.

In response, over £500,000 of WELL funding was provided to eligible schools with disadvantaged pupils to provide technology for remote learning, development and support for teachers and students, and breakfasts for vulnerable and key workers’ children.

How has the NDA group supported this work?

As part of Sellafield Ltd and NDA’s social impact commitment to helping make west Cumbria a better place to live and work, £1.7 million was awarded to the WELL project in 2019 and a further £3.9 million has recently been committed over the next three years.

The funding will be targeted at areas of need in schools and colleges in the boroughs of Copeland and Allerdale, and the project independently evaluated by the University of Nottingham in partnership with the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education.

Find out more:

The WELL project 

WELL prepared for the new term